Conveyor reel



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June 26, 1956 w. HUBER 2,752,031

CoNvEYoR REEL Filed July 21, 1952 5 sheets-shew 2 /f faQ/ June 26, 1956 w. HUBER 2,752,031

CQNVEYOR REEL Filed July 2l, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 NVENTR Wa/er #u 5er.'

United States Patent O CONVEYOR REEL Walter Huber, Netstal, Switzerland, assignor to Stoffel & Cie, Sankt Gallen, Switzerland, a Swiss company Application July 21, 1952, Serial No. 300,005

3 Claims. (Cl. 203-385) My present invention relates to a conveyor reel adapted for the safe transport of textiles and for the make up of similar goods.

This invention is a continuation in part of the invention of my application Ser. No. 218,600, filed March 31, 1951, now abandoned.

When desizing, dyeing, finishing or otherwise treating textiles or similar goods, the same are treated in vats, boilers, centrifuges and the like, being conveyed to the individual working stations, where they are subjected to the various treatments. If the distance between the individual machines, vats, boilers and the like is too great, it is advantageous to use intermediate reel-like driving and guiding elements which exert a pull on the goods or are freely rotated therewith. As a rule, such a reel comprises a conveyor drum which is rotated by a separate drive gear. It is a great disadvantage of such an arrangement that the reel has to be made stationary withinr the range of the driving machine and cannot be adapted to different working conditions at all or only by means of a complicated installation.

It is an object of my present invention to obviate such disadvantage. The improvement disclosed by my present invention resides in the provision of a conveyor reel which comprises a drum in which is disposed a drum driving gear. The said drum suitably may be mounted in a bracket, the driving gear being locked against rotation. A preferred form of my invention comprises a driving motor which automatically provides a constant pull on the goods, which pull is independent of the resistance of the skeins to be transported and is adjustable, according to the nature of the goods to be handled by means of a series-connected resistor.

Two forms of my present invention and a modied detail are shown in the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. l shows the rst form in axial section,

Fig. la illustrates a modified detail thereof,

Fig. 2 is an end-view thereof,

Fig. 3 shows a diagram for explaining the invention,

Fig. 4 illustrates the second form in axial section and Fig. 5 is an end view thereof.

The conveyor reel comprises a cylindrical cage 1 having end faces 2 and 3. In the cage is disposed a gear for driving a drum 4 to be later described in detail arranged around the cage and capable of being rotated independently thereof. The driving gear comprises an electric motor 5 attached to a base 6 which is pivoted on a pin 7 to a support 8 which is attached to the cage surface. For the purpose of regulating the pivoting range one end of the support 8 is provided with an open-ended slot 9 in which is engaged a cross-pin 10 of a spindle 11 of a regulating device 12. The latter suitably is an electric remote-control device known per se and provided with limit switches 22 located within range of the pivotable support 8. The shaft 13 of the electric motor 5 carries a V-belt pulley 14 which comprises two sprung discs and is connected through a V-belt 15 with the pulley 17 n2,752,031 Patented June 26, 1956 Flrice u of a gear unit 16. As the cross-pin is advanced and retracted by the spindle 11, the base 6, and motor 5 and.

variable speed V-belt driving pulley are tilted about the: pivot axis 7, moving the axis 13 of the driving pulley 14- toward or away from the axis of the driven pulley 17..

As the distance between these axes is increased, the

V-belt pulls down further between the two sprung discs. or cones of the V-belt driving pulley 14, spreading them apart against the spring action thus decreasing the speed of drive and vice versa. The pulley 17 drives the drive shaft 18-19 through a speed reduction gear unit 16, conveniently a worm gear which, with the pulley 17, is mounted on the cylindrical surface 1 of the cage, and drives the driven gear in housing 16 that is carried by the driven shaft 18. The driven shaft 18 of the gear unit 16 has an extension 19 passing through the end face 2 of the cage and being accommodated by a ball bearing 20 in a housing 21. The arrangement is such that, when the shaft 18 rotates the cage 1 to 3 remains stationary, the shaft 18 being supported on an intermediate ball bearing 23 disposed in a hub 24 of end face 2. The housing 21 is connected to one end of a U-shaped bracket 25 which has a central pivot 26. The latter is insertable in eyes (not shown in the drawing) disposed in the operating room and provided with clamping devices which permit the fixing of the bracket 25 in any desired position.

The other end face 3 of the cage likewise has a hub 27 in which is secured a hollow shaft 28 of which the other end through a key 30 is secured against rotation inside a housing 29. The latter is of a construction similar to that of housing 21 and is screwed on the other end of bracket 25.

The drum 4 is made of metal (such as stainless steel, aluminum alloy, copper, brass or the like) and concentrically'with cage 1 to 3. One end of the drum is connected at 32 to the extension 19 of shaft 18 and its other end is rotatable in a ball bearing 33 on hollow shaft 28.

The hollow shaft 28 at its end remote from the drum has an extension 34 to which is pivoted a supporting arm 35 which can be clamped in position. For such latter purpose the housing 29 has a disc 36 secured thereto which has equidistant holes 37 (Fig. 2) arranged radially and close to its edge, so that a stop pin 38 connected to arm 35 is engageable in one of said holes. A guide eye 39 is pivoted on a pin 40 to the free end of arm 35 and may be clamped to the arm by means of a clamp handle 31 that in elfect is a conventional handlednut or wing nut threaded on the pin 40 that extends through the upper end of arm 3S, in the same way that clamp handle 283 is threaded to pin 282 in Fig. la.

A modification of the arrangement shown in Figs. l and 2 is shown in Fig. 1a. Here again the shaft end` 281 is carried in ball bearings 231. A supporting armv 351 is rotatably mounted on a pivot 282 which is coaxial` to the shaft end 281, Furthermore a clamping arm 283- is secured to the pivot 282. When the arm 283 is actu` ated the arm 351 is clamped into position or released-` therefrom.

In actual use, the conveyor reel described is inserted i11- suitable mounting eyes which depending on the conditions .v von hand, also could be mounted on pivotable arms. Alter? i natively, the reels may be suspended from or arranged.

on dollies so as to be movable horizontally and vertically. The power leads, not shown in the drawing, pass through the hollow shaft 28.

to be transported are fed to the conveyor drum 4 through For this purpose, wall sockets are' provided in the vicinity of the mounting eyes. The goodsv ample circular, ov'al, square, rectangular, triangular or polygonal', andl may have a smooth, ribbed or corrugated surface. According to the nature of the goods to be transported, the, dmm surface may be: providedwith cam elements r formed of barsy arranged in herringbone fashion. The drum surface also could be' provided with a` coating of soft or hard rubber or fabric.

The rotary speed of the drum is'governed by the remote control device` 12 which acts on the swing position of base 6. By swinging the electric motor and its base 6A on pin 7, the distance between motor and the gear unit is changed,v whereby the .l-belt 15 is more or less stretched. in this manner the two drive-pulleyV half-portionsY are moved axially in relation to each other whereby the eifective diameter 0f ther Pulley is altered. The range of swing of'base 6"is limited by the switches 22.

It also is possible toV use a motor which provides a constant tension on the goods and is equipped with a regulator by means of which a deiinite torque may be set up in accordance with a desired pull in the skein. Such torque adjustment causes the reel to take up the goods with a constant tension and to feed, the same to a receptacle. When' changing the speed, of thegoods transport, the reel also assumes such speed, the tension remaining constant.

Vln Fig. 3 the feed rollers of a machine are designated by Z and the skein is delivered through the conveyor reel T under a constant tension p from the rollers Z to a receptacle D. A modication also is shown in Fig. 3 in whichl the skein isV transported from a receptacle D through an eye A into the receptacle D. In this latterrcase, the goodstension is designated'by-P". ln both, these cases, one and the same conveyor reel may be used.

in the'form of invention'shown in Figs. 4' and 5, a frame 41- is adapted for one sided mounting of a' drive motor 42 which is equippedwith a reduction gear 5S. The frame 41 suitably is provided with a flange connection 43 which directly receives the motor 42. A driven reel drum 45 is unilaterally mounted on the output shaft 44 of the reduction gear- 53 andv comprises a surface Si? which is provided with a supporting wall 46 having a socket 47'. In this case also, the surface 5t? may be smooth, ribbed or corrugated. The other end of drum 45 is' open so that the latter may be slid like a sleeve over the motor 42 and the gear 58, the socket 47 being rigidly connected to the output shaft 44 such as by means of a keydS.

The liange i3 also serves for receiving aV holder 49 on which is adjustably mounted a spring ring 51. The latter may be set to different positions by means of a clamping screw 52 and is providedwith a supporting arm 53. At theother end of the latter a guide eye 54 is adjustably mounted by means of a Vclamping device 55.'

The power leads for the motor 42 may pass through the hollow shaft 56, a regulator 57 being provided for adjusting the tension of the reel in the manneredescribed.

If desired the eye 54'may not be connected to the reel` but secured to existing machine parts.

The electric Vmotor suitably is a commutator motor equipped with an infinitely variableV speed-transmission in a large or small range, or a pole changing squirrel cage induction motor equipped with a reduction'gear for a maxiv mum or threerxed .speeds or a normal motor equipped with a reduction gear for a certain definite speed. Since all the driving parts are built into the cage in fixed relation the goods transported cannot become soiled byV oil or grease spots, and atrthe same time the drive mechanism is,

positively protected from attack from the dye liquor carried along by the goods. Only the supply cables are led into the cage from the outside and the point of lead-in may be completely enclosed, if required. lf desired also the remote control switch gear may be connected to the power cable, unless control devices fixed to the power sockets are preferred, in which case the, variable drives are protected from excess power surges either through the contacts described or through a safety coupling. The shaft 1S provides a direct drivefor the drum.` 4 which r0-V tates as a jacket about the cage. The latter isprevented from rotating with the drum through theV Yarrangement described above. To. ensureY satisfactory Vventilation the end faces of the drum may be provided with vanesrand slots. However, if the local working conditions do demand, a totally enclosed construction may be chosen.

l-t should be' added that: as` a safeguard against overloads and for the purpose; of disengaging the drive from the drum a preferably electric clutch K (Fig- 4); is; pro-V vided which is adjustable in such a manner that the maximum pull commensurate with the; goods to be transported may be predetermined.

lf required the conveyor reel described above may be made torotate freely i. e. the drum merely acts as guide element and is pulled by the skein.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is :v

l. In a skein transporting arrangemengin combination, a conveyor reelA comprisingl a rotatable drum, a stationary cage inside the drum, reduction gearing mounted inside the cage and connected for rotating the drum, a fixed diameter V-belt pulleyy driving said reduction gcare Y ing,'a Y\lbelt trained on said fixed diameter pulley,V and meansv for driving said tl-belt at variable speed comprising an electric motor mounted` on a base tiltable about an axis perp'endicularto the plane of the V-belt, a variable'speed V-belt pulley comprising two drive-pulley half portions movable axially in relation to each otherV to alter the effective diameter of the pulley, said half, portions being spring mounted to provide for said axial movemenn'said spring'.

pulley portions beingV driven by the motor shaft and embracing the,v V-beltbetween them, and means for tilting said base about said axis perpendicular to the plane of the belt for moving the variable Vspeed pulley toward and away from thev @ed diameter pulley to vary the eiiective diameter of the variable speed pulley by varying the distancey Y between the variable speed and fixed pulley.

2. AV combination according tor claim l', in which the means for tiltingthe base, motor and variable speed pulley comprises a fork carried by the base, a cross-pin engaged in the fork, and a spindle operable. for moving the crosspin and fork to effect tilting of the base about said'axis.

3. A combination according to claim 2, further com-V prising limit switch mea-ns' positionedV in the cage to bey engaged and operated selectively by thel base as it tilts to Y positions corresponding to the maximum and minimum Y speed driving positions of' the variable speed pulley, re.- spectively.

Referencesv Cited inthe tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS .866,820 Smith Sept. 24, 1907 1,101,201 Linderoth' 4 June 23, 1914 

